Unexpected Success
By: Jenosavel
Cloud began the battle as he would have any other. He flew straight at his foe and swung his mighty sword. It connected with something solid, and Cloud only took a few more swings before falling back. The girl had only fought in one real battle so far as Cloud knew, but it seemed she hadn't forgotten a single detail from it. Any simple physical attacks were rendered useless by an unseen barrier. Before she used it in her battle with Vegeta, Cloud had never seen anything of the sort.
Jenosavel frowned. She could force the air to become solid to deflect a blow, but her reflexes were less than desireable.
When the red-cloaked man fell back, a new man replaced him. His punches were faster than her eye could follow, and the only hope she had of deflecting them at all was to maintain a barrier as wide as the range of his attacks. The task proved difficult, though, and with her attentions spread so thin, she soon felt the crushing pain of a fist.
When Cloud saw the opening, he didn't hesitate. Focusing his thoughts on the swirling color of the orb in his blade, he began casting a spell. It would take a bit to complete, but it wouldn't take as long as knights of the round. Besides, ultima was as powerful as any of the lesser summons anyways.
Attempting to push away the pain in her mind, Jenosavel forced herself up. She would not be defeated now, not by these beings who had done so much evil already. They would not prevail!
Wiping her mouth, she scowled at the dark red left on the back of her hand. The burning in her side and lungs no doubt spoke of broken ribs -more knowledge from her newly aquired collection. They would pay for wounding her so. Hadn't they already done enough damage? Angrily she looked up to where her foes were floating in the sky.
She was just in time to see graceful wreathes of energy streak from the red-cloaked man's materia towards her. It was too late to stop the attack, but she wouldn't let her coming pain be in vain. Before the growing green light enveloped her, she was able to get a clear look at the pattern birthing it.
She would never forget it.
Involuntary screams tore from Jenosavel's throat at the searing pain of ultima took her in.
Gohan hated what he was seeing. Wasn't this girl being used by Sephiroth, their enemy? It wasn't her fault that he did things through her! It wasn't fair that they should have to be fighting her.
"Stop," Gohan whispered, covering his ears to block out the horrible cries. He shook his head. This just couldn't be happening! What good could come of such merciless bloodshed? "Please, this isn't right. Stop!"
Both sides of the fight paused to look at the boy who now had tears on in his eyes.
"This isn't right!" He pleaded. "We don't want to fight her, and she doesn't want to fight us! Why are we doing this?"
Jenosavel wasn't sure what to do. Twice now, that boy had tried to save her while his companions attacked her. Could there be any truth in his words or was he just as devious as the others? They certainly seemed like they wanted to kill her, and she most definitely wanted to make them pay for her pain.
"There's no choice Gohan," Cloud returned. His voice seemed unaffected by the interrupted battle or Gohan's emotions. "If we don't stop Meteor, the entire planet will be destroyed."
The entire planet? Sephiroth hadn't said anything about that. He'd said Meteor would make them pay, but Jenosavel hadn't thought it would go this far. The planet would die? How could the planet die if it wasn't living?
Am I not alive?
The voice in Jenosavel's head startled her, and the arguements above faded from her hearing. This voice tickled her memory, and though she still couldn't clearly call up those memories, the knowledge they left behind answered her questions.
"Planet?" Her eyes widened. The energy that she freely used, the energy that wasn't her own, it had to be coming from somewhere.
Yes, child, I let you use my energy when you ask.
With her pain temporarily forgotten, Jenosavel raised a hand to her forehead, "I don't understand, I am Jenova's child. Not yours."
I know not of this Jenova, and you are different than my other children, but you are still one of them.
"One of them?" She breathed, her eyes flickering towards the foes who had not yet returned to attacking her. As she caught sight of the red-cloaked man, she again felt the deep stabbing pain that radiated from him. It was not unlike her own.
Perhaps is could be true.
"I don't understand how it's possible," she murmurmed, gathering the strength to stand. She didn't want to believe it; she refused to believe it. Whether or not it was true, though, she did know one thing. The planet was her main source of power. If she destroyed it, there would be no way for her to prove her worth to Jenova.
"What are you doing!" Vegeta snarled as Gohan blocked his path down to their fallen foe. As soon as Cloud's spell had finished, he'd tried to continue the job they'd started, but this boy wouldn't have it.
"There has to be another way!" Gohan cried. Firmly refusing to be budged. He could be as fast if not faster than everyone present, so there was no way they'd get past him. Attacking this girl was wrong, and he wouldn't stand for it anymore.
"I don't understand, Gohan. What else can we do?" Goku pressed.
"I don't know," the boy whimpered. "But there has to be something else!"
Cloud grimaced but didn't argue himself. Instead he stared down at the girl who was now rising to her feet. Sephiroth was no where to be found, and truthfully they had no hopes of stopping Meteor on their own. It was too near to the peak for Holy to do any good. All he could do now was try to stop Sephiroth from merging with the lifestream that would be drawn to the wound.
Cloud watched in grim silence as the materia he hated so hovered into the air and flashed to the girl's hand. Their fate was sealed. As much as Cloud hated not being in control of the situation, he knew nothing could be done to change it. All he could do was continue to watch and prepare for what would come next.
Suddenly, the arguing around him quieted.
Meteor's decent was slowing.
By: Jenosavel
Cloud began the battle as he would have any other. He flew straight at his foe and swung his mighty sword. It connected with something solid, and Cloud only took a few more swings before falling back. The girl had only fought in one real battle so far as Cloud knew, but it seemed she hadn't forgotten a single detail from it. Any simple physical attacks were rendered useless by an unseen barrier. Before she used it in her battle with Vegeta, Cloud had never seen anything of the sort.
Jenosavel frowned. She could force the air to become solid to deflect a blow, but her reflexes were less than desireable.
When the red-cloaked man fell back, a new man replaced him. His punches were faster than her eye could follow, and the only hope she had of deflecting them at all was to maintain a barrier as wide as the range of his attacks. The task proved difficult, though, and with her attentions spread so thin, she soon felt the crushing pain of a fist.
When Cloud saw the opening, he didn't hesitate. Focusing his thoughts on the swirling color of the orb in his blade, he began casting a spell. It would take a bit to complete, but it wouldn't take as long as knights of the round. Besides, ultima was as powerful as any of the lesser summons anyways.
Attempting to push away the pain in her mind, Jenosavel forced herself up. She would not be defeated now, not by these beings who had done so much evil already. They would not prevail!
Wiping her mouth, she scowled at the dark red left on the back of her hand. The burning in her side and lungs no doubt spoke of broken ribs -more knowledge from her newly aquired collection. They would pay for wounding her so. Hadn't they already done enough damage? Angrily she looked up to where her foes were floating in the sky.
She was just in time to see graceful wreathes of energy streak from the red-cloaked man's materia towards her. It was too late to stop the attack, but she wouldn't let her coming pain be in vain. Before the growing green light enveloped her, she was able to get a clear look at the pattern birthing it.
She would never forget it.
Involuntary screams tore from Jenosavel's throat at the searing pain of ultima took her in.
Gohan hated what he was seeing. Wasn't this girl being used by Sephiroth, their enemy? It wasn't her fault that he did things through her! It wasn't fair that they should have to be fighting her.
"Stop," Gohan whispered, covering his ears to block out the horrible cries. He shook his head. This just couldn't be happening! What good could come of such merciless bloodshed? "Please, this isn't right. Stop!"
Both sides of the fight paused to look at the boy who now had tears on in his eyes.
"This isn't right!" He pleaded. "We don't want to fight her, and she doesn't want to fight us! Why are we doing this?"
Jenosavel wasn't sure what to do. Twice now, that boy had tried to save her while his companions attacked her. Could there be any truth in his words or was he just as devious as the others? They certainly seemed like they wanted to kill her, and she most definitely wanted to make them pay for her pain.
"There's no choice Gohan," Cloud returned. His voice seemed unaffected by the interrupted battle or Gohan's emotions. "If we don't stop Meteor, the entire planet will be destroyed."
The entire planet? Sephiroth hadn't said anything about that. He'd said Meteor would make them pay, but Jenosavel hadn't thought it would go this far. The planet would die? How could the planet die if it wasn't living?
Am I not alive?
The voice in Jenosavel's head startled her, and the arguements above faded from her hearing. This voice tickled her memory, and though she still couldn't clearly call up those memories, the knowledge they left behind answered her questions.
"Planet?" Her eyes widened. The energy that she freely used, the energy that wasn't her own, it had to be coming from somewhere.
Yes, child, I let you use my energy when you ask.
With her pain temporarily forgotten, Jenosavel raised a hand to her forehead, "I don't understand, I am Jenova's child. Not yours."
I know not of this Jenova, and you are different than my other children, but you are still one of them.
"One of them?" She breathed, her eyes flickering towards the foes who had not yet returned to attacking her. As she caught sight of the red-cloaked man, she again felt the deep stabbing pain that radiated from him. It was not unlike her own.
Perhaps is could be true.
"I don't understand how it's possible," she murmurmed, gathering the strength to stand. She didn't want to believe it; she refused to believe it. Whether or not it was true, though, she did know one thing. The planet was her main source of power. If she destroyed it, there would be no way for her to prove her worth to Jenova.
"What are you doing!" Vegeta snarled as Gohan blocked his path down to their fallen foe. As soon as Cloud's spell had finished, he'd tried to continue the job they'd started, but this boy wouldn't have it.
"There has to be another way!" Gohan cried. Firmly refusing to be budged. He could be as fast if not faster than everyone present, so there was no way they'd get past him. Attacking this girl was wrong, and he wouldn't stand for it anymore.
"I don't understand, Gohan. What else can we do?" Goku pressed.
"I don't know," the boy whimpered. "But there has to be something else!"
Cloud grimaced but didn't argue himself. Instead he stared down at the girl who was now rising to her feet. Sephiroth was no where to be found, and truthfully they had no hopes of stopping Meteor on their own. It was too near to the peak for Holy to do any good. All he could do now was try to stop Sephiroth from merging with the lifestream that would be drawn to the wound.
Cloud watched in grim silence as the materia he hated so hovered into the air and flashed to the girl's hand. Their fate was sealed. As much as Cloud hated not being in control of the situation, he knew nothing could be done to change it. All he could do was continue to watch and prepare for what would come next.
Suddenly, the arguing around him quieted.
Meteor's decent was slowing.